(A) General rule. Words and phrases are construed according to the common and approved usage of the language, but technical words and phrases and others that have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in the law are construed and understood according to such meaning.
(B) Definitions. For the purpose of this code, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly requires a different meaning.
BOND. An obligation in writing binding the signatory to pay a sum certain upon the happening or failure of an event.
BUILDING. Any structure intended to have walls and a roof.
BUILDING OFFICIAL. The person appointed by the city and designated as the city’s building official.
BUSINESS. Any profession, trade or occupation and any other commercial enterprise conducted for monetary reward.
CITY. The City of Beggs, in the County of Okmulgee and State of Oklahoma.
CITY LIMITS. Within the city, and includes not only the corporate limits of the city, but also any property which it owns or which is under its jurisdiction.
CLERK. The City Clerk.
CODE, THIS CODE or THIS CODE OF ORDINANCES. This municipal code, as modified by amendment, revision and the adoption of new titles, chapters or sections.
COUNCIL. The governing body of the city, the City Council.
COUNTY. The County of Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
DEFINITIONS. When given within a chapter, subchapter or section, apply only to words or phrases used in such chapter, subchapter or section unless otherwise provided.
DESIGNEE. Following an official of the city, means the authorized agent, employee or representative of such official.
EMPLOYEE. A person who is employed by the city, including, but not limited to, a police officer, firefighter or laborer. Any person employed by the city serves “at will” and is an at-will employee.
HEALTH OFFICER. The administrator of the cooperative department of the county and the city.
JOINT AUTHORITY. All words giving JOINT AUTHORITY to three or more persons or officers shall be construed as giving authority to a majority of the persons or officers.
KEEPER. One in possession of or who has the care, custody or superintendence of a thing, place or business, whether or not the owner or proprietor, and includes any person, firm, association, corporation, club and copartnership, whether acting by itself or by a servant, agent or employee.
LAW. Applicable federal law and court decisions, court decisions and provisions of the Constitution and statutes of the state and ordinances of the city, and, when appropriate, any and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
MAY. The act referred to is permissive and discretionary.
MAYOR. The Mayor of the city.
MONTH. A calendar month.
OATH. Any form of attestation by which a person signifies that he or she is bound in conscience to perform an act or to speak faithfully and truthfully, and includes an AFFIRMATION or DECLARATION in cases where, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath.
OCCUPANT. The tenant or person in actual possession.
OPERATE. Carry on, keep, conduct, maintain, manage, direct or superintend.
ORDINANCES. The ordinances of the city and all amendments and supplements thereto.
OTHER OFFICIALS or OFFICERS AND THE LIKE. Whenever reference is made to officers, agencies or departments by title only, such as “City Clerk,” “City Attorney,” “Fire Chief,” “Police Chief” and the like, they shall mean the officers, agencies or departments of the city.
OWNER. One who has complete dominion over particular property and who is the one in whom legal or equitable title rests; when applied to a building or land, OWNER means any part owner, joint owner, owner of a community or partnership interest, life tenant, tenant in common or joint tenant of the whole or part of such building or land.
PERSON. Any individual, natural person, joint stock company, partnership, voluntary association, club, firm, company, corporation, business trust, organization or any other bodies corporate or politic or group acting as a unit, or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, partner, member, director, officer or employee of any of them, including an executor, clerk, trustee, receiver or other representative appointed according to law.
PERSONAL PROPERTY. Any money, goods, movable chattels, things in action, evidence of debt, all objects and rights which are capable of ownership and every other species of property, except real property.
PRECEDING or FOLLOWING. Next before and next after, respectively.
PROPRIETOR. An owner of the property or premises, including any person, firm, association, corporation, club, partnership or other group acting as a unit, whether acting by themselves or by a servant, agent or employee.
PUBLIC PLACE. Means and includes any public street, road or highway, alley, lane, sidewalk, crosswalk or other public way, or any public resort, place of amusement, stadium, athletic field, park, playground, public building or grounds appurtenant thereto, school building or school grounds, public parking lot or any vacant lot, the elevator, lobby, halls, corridors and areas open to the public of any store, office or apartment building or any other place commonly open to the public.
REAL PROPERTY. Land, together with all things attached to the land so as to become a part thereof.
SHALL. The act referred to is mandatory.
SIDEWALK. The portion of a street between the curbline and the adjacent property along the margin of a street or other highway which is designed, constructed and intended for the use of pedestrians to the exclusion of vehicles.
SIGNATURE or SUBSCRIPTION. The name of a person, mark or symbol appended by him or her to a writing with the intent to authenticate the instrument as one made or put into effect by him or her.
STATE. The State of Oklahoma.
STATUTES. The Oklahoma Statutes, as they now are or as they may be amended to be.
STATUTORY REFERENCES. References to the statutes of the state as they now are or as they may be amended.
STREET. All streets, highways, avenues, boulevards, parkways, roads, lanes, viaducts, bridges and the approaches thereto, docks built on the public streets, alleys, courts, places, squares, curbs, sidewalks, recreation and park lands used for vehicular traffic, or other public ways or thoroughfares in the city over which it has jurisdiction which have been, or may hereafter be, dedicated and opened to public use, or such other public property so designated in any law of the state.
SUBCHAPTER. A division of a chapter, designated in this code by a heading in the chapter analysis and a capitalized heading in the body of the chapter, setting apart a group of sections related by the subject matter of the heading. Not all chapters have SUBCHAPTERS.
TENANT. Any person occupying the premises, building or land of another in subordination to such other person’s title and with his or her express or implied assent, whether he or she occupies the whole or a part of that premises, building or land, whether alone or with others.
TIME. The hour of the day according to the official time of the day.
TREASURER. The City Treasurer.
WATERCOURSE. Any drain, ditch and stream flowing in a definite direction or course in a bed with banks.
WEEK. Seven days.
WRITING or WRITTEN. Any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise, capable of comprehension by ordinary visual means.
YEAR. A calendar year.
(Prior Code, § 1-102)